Israel is in discussions with South Sudan about the possibility of resettling Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to the war-torn East African country, part of a wider effort by Israel to facilitate mass emigration from the territory left in ruins by its 22-month offensive against Hamas. Six people familiar with the matter have confirmed the talks to the AP. It's unclear how far the talks have advanced, but if implemented, the plans would amount to transferring people from one war-ravaged land at risk of famine to another, as well as raise human rights concerns.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he wants to realize US President Trump's vision of relocating much of Gaza's population through what Netanyahu refers to as "voluntary migration." Israel has floated similar resettlement proposals with other African nations. "I think that the right thing to do, even according to the laws of war as I know them, is to allow the population to leave, and then you go in with all your might against the enemy who remains there," Netanyahu said Tuesday in an interview with i24. He didn't make reference to South Sudan, which could achieve closer ties to Israel with such a deal.
Palestinians, rights groups, and much of the international community have rejected the proposals as a blueprint for forcible expulsion in violation of international law. Many Palestinians might want to leave Gaza, at least temporarily, to escape the war and a hunger crisis bordering on famine—but they've roundly rejected any permanent resettlement from what they see as an integral part of their national homeland. Even those Palestinians who want to leave are unlikely to take their chances in South Sudan, among the world's most unstable and conflict-ridden nations. South Sudan has struggled to recover from a civil war that broke out after independence, killing nearly 400,000 people and plunging pockets of the country into famine.
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Palestinians in particular could find themselves unwelcome. The long war for independence from Sudan pitted the mostly Christian and animist south against the predominantly Arab and Muslim north. Edmund Yakani, head of a South Sudanese civil society group, said the South Sudanese would need to know who's coming and how long they plan to stay, or there could be hostilities due to the "historical issues with Muslims and Arabs." He noted, "South Sudan should not become a dumping ground for people." More here.
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